Memory Beta:Inclusion policy
Memory Beta's objective is to be a guide the entire Star Trek universe as portrayed in officially licensed Star Trek fiction products. This policy details precisely what are acceptable sources and how to approach their inclusion in the database. Article types Broadly speaking there are two types of article or page section on Memory Beta: those which give in-universe information on the Star Trek universe, and those which provide real world information on sources and background to in-universe articles. In-universe articles These articles are written from the in-universe perspective; subjects include characters, locations, object and events. All additions to these articles should be accompanied by a citation to the licensed Star Trek product the information originated from (see the style guide for guidance on use of citation templates). Appropriate sources include Star Trek episodes, movies, novelizations, novels, novellas, short stories, audiobooks, comics, video games, roleplaying game books, the CCG, reference books, magazines, calendars and websites. Memory Beta's focus is on the Star Trek universe as established in licensed products. As such, in-universe articles should have at least one citation from a licensed product other than an episode or movie. Articles which deal exclusively with content from episodes and movies are likely to be deleted. Additionally, a source must be the complete and final version of a product; information from pre-release material (trailers, excerpts, and previews) is not acceptable for sourcing in-universe information. Content which is not cited to one of the licensed sources, or that cites an unacceptable source - such as fan-fiction, unlicensed publications or speculation - is not suitable for this database and will be removed. Real world articles These articles are written from the real world perspective; subjects include each of the acceptable types of source listed above, the different Star Trek series and miniseries, and persons and companies involved in the production of Star Trek products. Background information should be cited whenever possible, from sources such as articles and interviews from magazines or websites, author annotations, or comments by Star Trek content producers in public forums. Speculative background notes - for instance, the detailing of an in-joke, or the likely real-world origin of a starship name - are acceptable, subject to community discussion of their appropriateness and may be removed if deemed inappropriate or inaccurate. Conflicts Owing to the longevity and the evolving continuity of the Star Trek franchise, many licensed publications produced over the years have generated contradictory information. Memory Beta policy is all-inclusive; information from two or more contradictory sources can and should be included, with background notation describing the nature of the contradiction. In all instances, canonical information takes precedence; episodes and movies override contradictory information from earlier non-canonical sources. Beyond this, Memory Beta does not operate any sort of hierarchy for licensed sources; all information is equal in value. However, when an overwhelming majority of sources are contradicted by a minority source, for the purposes of page structure the information from the majority will take precedence; minority alternate continuity may be presented in background notation at appropriate junctures. Memory Beta's purpose is not to reconcile different versions of the Star Trek universe(s). Articles should be written assuming events take place in the singular Star Trek "primary universe", except when a separation between timelines has been explicitly declared in-universe, like the Kelvin timeline of the post-2009 films, or the "mirror universe". Contradictions between different continuities should be noted only when they overtly conflict in regard to the specific subject of the article. Unexplained contradictions do not usually indicate a separate reality. More on this topic has been written for editors at Memory Beta:Contradictions and continuity